Victory Fund endorses Florida House candidate Mark LaFontaine

News release:

VICTORY FUND ENDORSES MARK LAFONTAINE FOR HOUSE DISTRICT 92

Candidate Also Turns In More Petitions Than Necessary for August 26 Ballot

Oakland Park – Mark LaFontaine, candidate for the State Legislature from District 92, was formally endorsed by the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, the nation’s largest GLBT political action committee and the only national organization dedicated to increasing the number of openly GLBT elected officials at all levels of government. LaFontaine also turned in substantially more petitions than needed to secure a spot on the August 26 ballot, registering 694 valid petitions. Only 615 were required.

“I’m pleased to accept the endorsement of the Victory Fund, because their track record of supporting winning candidates underscores the momentum my campaign has achieved,” LaFontaine said. “Florida has never elected an openly-GLBT representative to Tallahassee, and this endorsement, plus our strong petition drive, brings us one step closer to making history.”

LaFontaine has long been an advocate for Florida’s GLBT community. He is national treasurer of American Veterans for Equal Rights (AVER), which supports US veterans both gay and straight, and president of the local Gold Coast chapter, the largest in the organization. And he is a board member of the Dolphin Democrats, the oldest GLBT Democratic club in the state, as well its former treasurer.

LaFontaine also was a leader in Scouting for All, which fought discrimination in the Boy Scouts. He was instrumental in leading a diverse coalition including GLBT groups and religious and mental health leaders, which resulted in several government and community organizations pulling their funding from the Boy Scouts – including Broward County, the Broward School Board, and United Way of Broward County.

In addition to supporting the GLBT community, LaFontaine is also a member of the Broward County Veterans Council, and is the only veteran in the District 92 race, having served in the US Coast Guard. A resident of Broward County since he was six years old, LaFontaine is the owner of a successful accounting practice based in Oakland Park, is a board member of Oakland Park Main Street, which is guiding that city’s development, and also has been a member of the Fort Lauderdale Audit Advisory Board, which oversees the city’s finances.

In addition to Victory Fund support, LaFontaine has been endorsed by US Rep. Barney Frank, chair of the House Financial Services Committee, and Florida Rep. Kelly Skidmore (Dist. 90).